Song is Fear by: Sarah McLachlan

~*~

Part 2

but I fear
I have nothing to give.
I have so much
to lose here in this lonely place.
Tangled up in your embrace
there's there's nothing I'd like better than
to fall.

It was a Saturday when Faith had a visitor she had never seen before. In the three years she had spent in prison, she had three visitors. Every month, twice a month, Angel visits. For about three months he never showed, and that's when Wes came. She had been surprised to see him, and wondered if he wanted an apology or something, and she'll always remember the fear that gripped her at that moment when she really got a good look at him. Was some one dead? Again? But no. Angel was missing. Missing. "How the fuck do you lose a vampire?" She had demanded into the mouthpiece of the phone, "He's not easy to miss."

"I've not been in connection with Angel in months." Wesley had bit back, "I just thought it would be right to tell you. Goodbye, Faith."

He had left then without another word. Faith worried for weeks until Angel showed again, looking like Hell, but there at the least. He hadn't explained, hadn't offered up any clues. Just asked the usual questions and left. Faith knew, vaguely, of Connor. Angel had been happy, those first two months with his son. Then, Connor was gone from Angel's life, and soon after, Angel was gone from Faith's. Her other visitor had come twice. Xander had visited once to tell her Buffy was dead. Then, he had come once more a few months later, to tell her Buffy was back. That was over a year ago. Back, had been the word he's used, not alive. Faith had wondered about that ever since, but when he had told her, so bluntly, she had just felt so giddy all she could do was laugh until he left her, slumped over the table, laughing/sobbing into her hands.

Today, it was a man in tweed. "My name is Vincent Daye. I am from the Council of Watchers...what is left of it."

Faith's ears perked up, "What's left of it? What happened?"

"You know, I assume, what has been happening? Surely you aren't that cut off from the world?"

"Yeah-yeah, I saw...I mean...there was fire. In the sky, like rain. A few nights ago. And there's been this....this...feeling. I don't know. Tell me what's happening." Her voice is higher than it usually is, and she curses herself for letting herself be bothered by anything...especially in front of a Watcher.

"The world is ending." Vincent said simply, "And it shouldn't surprise you that it is stirring in Sunnydale as well as Los Angeles."

Faith sighed, "Is everyone alive?"

"If you are referring to Ms. Summers, yes. She is alive. But the Council Headquarters was destroyed, taking with it most of our Watchers and our resources. Several Slayers-in-Training along with heir Watchers are dead. Right now, your Ms. Summers is housing many of the remaining Slayers."

"What's doing it? What caused all the fire?"

"The firestorm was the doing of a different evil...It is of no significance to you now.The First is going to flatten Sunnydale, and probably open the Hellmouth in the process. You are needed there."

Needed. Faith gulped in air, "The First? But...Buffy killed it. I remember because...it snowed..." Faith leaned back in her chair, the memory hitting her hard. Standing on the porch with Joyce, little flakes of ice falling from the Southern California sky. She shook her head, hard.

"The First is invincible. It can be contained, but never defeated."

Faith closed her eyes and bit her lip, "What can I do?"

"Help them. I've arranged, with some of the Council connections, to have you released."

And suddenly, Faith didn't really care how or why or when...because Vincent Daye was holding up a clear bag of Faith's clothes, and not a stitch was prison blue.

"Sign me up." She said, eyeing her denim jacket from behind the plexiglass.

~*~

When she stepped off the bus and into the depot, Faith could feel it. Power permeated every inch of this town, and it sunk into her skin and clung to her hair. She always felt it in Sunnydale, the darkness and the death. It was a rush and felt...wrong, but so powerful she never cared. Until now. Now, she could sense The First. The life was being sucked right out of Sunnydale.

"Faith."

She turned and was almost knocked over by the face she met. Buffy stood, as always, a few inches shorter than Faith. Her hair was different than the last time they'd met. Her face, too. She looked older, and very, very tired.

"Hey, B." She said, her voice coming out strained. She had waited for this for two days. Waiting for the coldness, the rigid acceptance, Faith braced herself.

"I'm glad you came." Buffy said softly, "We need...I need your help."

Faith smiled lightly, "I'm up for some ass kicking."

"Good. Where are your bags?"

"Uh..." Faith blushed, silently cursing her own blood flow, "I don't really have...I'm kind of possessionless."

"Oh...Oh well. You can borrow some of my stuff, or Anya's or Willow's." Buffy motioned for Faith to follow her out of the depot, talking as they walked, "We have a lot of work to do and next to no time. it's really cramped at the house; I have four Slayers-in-Waiting living there, along with the entire Scooby gang."

Faith nodded. They reached a silver car, "Wow. Did they start paying you or something?"

"It's Xander's." Buffy explained, unlocking the doors. After they had both climbed in, Buffy said, "He's making beacoup bucks building the new Sunnydale High."

"Wow. What else has changed? I get details and updates about LA all the time, but I'm clueless to Sunnydale."

"Uh...I died, but you...um...knew that." Buffy pursed her lips.

"Xander told me."

"I know."

"Yeah..."

There was a very long silence, in which Faith wondered if Xander had told Buffy the details of her reaction to Buffy's death, which was most definitely not her finest moment. But then, Buffy spoke again.

"Last summer, Willow's girlfriend was killed."

"The blond one? She was really quiet, kinda stuttery? The one I was mean to when--"

"When you were me. Yes. She was shot, so was I...Um, Willow kind of lost it and went a little bad."

"Always the quiet ones."

Buffy took her eyes off the road for a moment to glare at Faith, "She's recovering. Don't pick on her, she isn't the same girl you knew."

"Fine."

"Xander almost got married."

"No shit!" Faith looked over at Buffy, "You're kidding me."

"Nope. But, there was a thing...and it kind of didn't work out. Anya, who is at the house right now, was his fiancée."

"I missed...a lot."

"Mom died."

Faith fell silent. Angel hadn't told her...She blinked back tears that came unbidden to her eyes, "What? But...how?"

"It was a complication from surgery."

"But..." Faith swallowed hard, "I'm sorry. I just...Your mom was special. I liked her."

"Except for that time you nearly killed her?"

Faith looked from Buffy to her lap, "That was...I won't apologize, because that wouldn't do anything."

"I don't expect you to."

After that, they rose in silence. Faith began to recognize streets and buildings, until they finally pulled onto Revello Drive. The house was as she remembered. Ivy still climbed the walls, a porch swing still hung out front.

"One more thing." Buffy said, shutting off the ignition.

"Yeah?"

"Spike is living here. He has a soul. He's also kind of...out of it."

"Spike? The *vampire*? Christ, B, do you run a shelter for them now?"

"Vamps and convicts. That's my specialty." Buffy said, not looking at Faith as she started up the walkway. Faith could hear them talking as the door opened, and she was suddenly very, very, frightened of the people she had betrayed--and all of them were in that house.